This week, don’t forget about Queens, discuss the intersection of art and science, LMCC open studios sound great, site-specific performance at the Socrates Sculpture Park, a discussion about Brutalism in Williamsburg, and, most importantly, the New York Art Book Fair opens!
Forgotten Queens
When: Tuesday, September 23, 6:30pm
Where: Mid-Manhattan Library (455 Fifth Avenue, Midtown, Manhattan)
Kevin Walsh, the founder of Forgotten New York, presents an illustrated lecture on the history of Queens between the 1920s–50s. Walsh’s lecture promises to highlight the unique histories of the borough, whilst focusing on the development of model housing and planned communities.
Detail of Paul Villinski’s “Return” (2014), aluminum (found cans), wire, flash, 80h x 80w x 9d in (via Morgan Lehman Gallery)
Villinksi’s Paradigm
When: Tuesday, September 23, 6–7:40pm
Where: Morgan Lehman Gallery (535 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan)
Moderated by Hyperallergic Weekend’s own Jennifer Samet (of Beer with an Artist fame), this panel features artist Paul Villinski, artist Rudi Mattoni, and art critic Lepidoptera Lilly Wei. Exploring environmental issues, species extinction, and human intervention, the discussion, which coincides with Villinski’s current exhibition at Morgan Lehman gallery, is sure to touch upon the interface between science and art.
The NY Art Book Fair
When: Thursday, September 25, to Sunday, September 28 (check site for details)
Where: MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens)
Yup, it’s that time of year when the best art book fair ever arrives in New York! Come early, come often, and bring money so you can support some of the best indie publishers in the world. The zine section is fantastic, you’re sure to meet lots of people, and you’ll have more reading material than you can ever imagine. Hyperallergic is the media sponsor, so you can be assured it’s going to be great.
LMCC Open Studio Weekend
When: Friday, September 26, to Sunday, September 28 (check site for details)
Where: Various
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council have organized open studios events in five separate locations, including Battery Park, 125 Maiden Lane, and the St. Cornelius Chapel at Governors Island. All events are free, though some require advance RSVP. There are a ton of projects so be sure to check out the LMCC site for further details.
The Best of Lost & Found Film Club
When: Friday, September 26, 7:30 and 10pm ($5)
Where: Spectacle Theater (124 South 3rd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Spectacle presents an evening of cherry picked 16mm films, many of which have been saved from oblivion. Sourced from yard sales, auctions, and libraries, the Cinefamily‘s Lost & Found Film Club is hosting an evening of their best bits of ephemera:
We’ll look at some of Jim Henson’s “for hire” work using Muppets to spice up dull corporate meetings, a sci-fi Arthur C. Clarke adaptation filled with outrageous aliens, and a real police training film discouraging the use of shotguns on public streets. Plus awkward teen dating, the first-ever commercial appearance by the Kool-Aid Man, 1980s insect love, and a secret 16mm surprise from the father of America’s favorite cartoon family.
This Saturday, alumni from the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture will showcase new performances pieces at Socrates Sculpture Park (via socratessculpturepark.org)
Skowhegan Performs
When: Saturday, September 27, 1-5pm
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens)
This Saturday, fifteen alumni from The Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture present site-specific performances inspired by Socrates Sculpture Park’s topography and history. Created over the Summer in the parks outdoor studio, the “performances may be one moment, ongoing, or repeated over the course of the afternoon at various locations.” As is custom with Socrates, the event is completely free.
Charles Gaines: Manifestos 2
When: Saturday, September 27, 7pm ($12)
Where: The Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53rd Street, Midtown, Manhattan)
Saturday also marks the premiere performance of Charles Gaines’ “Manifestos 2” (2013), a musical translation of four influential speeches and manifestos. Arranged by Los Angeles composer and Opera Povera director Sean Griffin, Gaines’ piece adheres to a strict, rule-based system regarding the translation of letters into musical notes. The premiere will be followed by a conversation between Griffin and Gaines.
Brutal Legacy: A Conversation about Paul Rudolph and his Endangered Masterwork
The Orange County Government Center in Goshen, NY. Designed by architect Paul Rudolph, the building is under threat from local politicians lobbying for its demolition (via frontroom.org)
When: Sunday, September 28, 2pm
Where: The Front Room (147 Roebling Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
To coincide with their current exhibition, Brutal Legacy, a series of photographic works by Brooklyn based artist Sean Hemmerie, The Front Room is hosting a discussion on the Orange County Government Center in Goshen, NY, considered an exemplar of Brutalist architecture. Imperiled by local politicians lobbying for its demolition, Hemmerie’s project, a collaboration with designer William Watson, “aims to understand the structure through the materials and disposition that will bring about its preservation, or its demise, and to illuminate the moment at which a building and an architectural style face proscription.” For the Sunday discussion, Hemmerie and Watson will be joined by architects Theoharis David and Sean Khorsandi.
Invisible Women: The Under-Representation of Female Artists in the Art World
When: Sunday, September 28, 5-6:30pm
Where: Amos Eno Gallery (1087 Flushing Avenue, Bushwick, Brooklyn)
An Arts in Bushwick panel, artist (and Hyperallergic contributor) Chloë Bass moderates a discussion on the continuing under-representation and ostracization of female artists from the art world. The event is slated to last one hour with an opportunity to mingle with speakers and guests. Panelists include Sam Vernon, Susan Mumford, Larry Ossei-Mensah, Katie Cercone, and Florence Lynch.